What Should You Do After a Workplace Electrocution?
March 3, 2023 in Personal Injury
Exposure to electricity is one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and injuries in the United States, particularly among construction industry workers. These accidents are especially hazardous because they can have severe and long-term consequences for those who survive. Whether the accident results from an employer failing to maintain a safe workplace or provide adequate training, it is crucial to obtain legal advice following a construction worker’s electric shock or electrocution to determine if a personal injury claim is possible.
What Causes Workplace Electrocutions?
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, there are four main types of electrical injuries. These injuries include electrocution, electric shock, burns/arc blasts, and fatal falls from height caused by contact with electrical energy. Although many factors may contribute to electrocution in the workplace, the most prevalent determining factors in these accidents are inadequate training and an overall lack of workplace safety.
For example, workers may be electrocuted if the electricity is not adequately managed and turned off during renovation and construction projects. Similarly, when employers neglect workplace hazards and fail to prepare workers to safely encounter the potential dangers of energy sources like electrical boxes and transformers, the risk of electrocution is much greater.
Injuries resulting from electrocution in the workplace may include:
- Electrocution
- Electrical burns
- Explosions and thermal burns
- Cardiac arrest
- Fall injuries
Fatal Electrical Injuries in the Mining Industry
Construction workers in a wide range of industries are in danger of being electrocuted at work, but one of the most common places they may encounter an electrical injury is in the mining industry. Routine electrical maintenance tasks are made more dangerous by the exposed wiring and cables necessary for powering mining operations.
Additionally, miners often work with electrical equipment in confined quarters where the risk of experiencing electrocution and encountering electric hazards is more significant, especially if workers fail to ensure live electrical components are turned off before completing related jobs.
Can Workplace Electrocutions Be Prevented?
Safe work practices can largely prevent workplace electrocutions. Lives can be saved by ensuring the safety of equipment and installations, de-energizing equipment before repairs, maintaining electric tools, using protective gear, and using caution when working near live wires and overhead power lines. However, this isn’t always the case in every workplace. When negligence occurs, it is essential to contact a lawyer.
Other ways to prevent workplace electrocutions include:
- Avoiding electrical cable hazards
- Improving power system grounding
- Preventing electrical ignitions that could lead to fires and explosions
- Improving overhead electrical power line safety
- Mitigating arc flash hazards
I’ve Been Injured in a Workplace Electrocution. What Do I Do?
If you or a family member or loved one has been injured in a workplace electrocution, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your pain, suffering, medical bills, and applicable lost wages. Contact a lawyer following an electrocution injury to determine whether you may be eligible to file a claim.
Contact the New York Attorneys at SPBMCC To Schedule a Free Consultation
Contact the personal injury lawyers at Sullivan Papain Block McManus Coffinas & Cannavo (SPBMCC) at (212)732-9000 for a free consultation to determine if you are eligible for compensation.